Theology: A Very Short Introduction

David Ford

Description

This Very Short Introduction provides both the believer and non-believer with a balanced survey of the central questions of theology. David Ford's approach draws us in to considering the principles underlying religious belief, including the centrality of salvation to most major religions, the concept of God in ancient, modern, and postmodern contexts, the challenge posed to theology by prayer and worship, and the issue of sin and evil. He also probes the nature of experience, knowledge, and wisdom in theology, and discusses what is involved in interpreting theological texts.

Ford's introduction to theology has already helped tens of thousands of believers and non-believers to understand the central questions of contemporary theology. In this new edition, he includes updates to a number of areas, including theology between faiths, theological responses to science, and the effects of globalization and technology.

About the Series:

Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

Theology: A Very Short Introduction

David Ford

Table of Contents

PrefacePart 1: Describing the field1. Introduction: Theology and the religions in transformation2. Theology and religious studies: how is the field shaped?Part 2: Theological explorations3. Thinking of God4. Living before God: worship, ethics, and politics5. Facing evil6. Jesus Christ7. Salvation - scope, intensity, and dialoguesPart 3: Skills, disciplines, and methods8. Through the past to the present: history and texts9. Experience, reason, and wisdomPart 4: Prospects10. Theology for the third millenniumReferencesFurther reading

Theology: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

David Ford

Author Information

David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, and Director of the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme

David F. Ford is Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, and Director of the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme. He is the author of many books, including most recently The Future of Christian Theology (OUP, 2011), Christian Wisdom: Desiring God and Learning in Love (CUP, 2007), and Shaping Theology: Engagements in a Religious and Secular World (OUP, 2007).